Monday, October 31, 2011

Music Monday: Halloween edition

 I love dressing up. It's one of those silly things I can't seem to grow out of. Oh well. That's what I find so lovely about Halloween. I don't care for candy or scariness actually. I like the dressing up. I already said that. So I guess my point is made. My Halloween soundtrack is actually from Brigadoon. The musical about the people who run around singing in kilts and lovely twirly skirts with ridiculously cinched in waists. I've never met a man who likes Brigadoon. Truthfully, I'm not sure there's a plot. There's a lot of marching around, dancing around, running around, shooting stuff. I love their hunting outfits. I want one. Oh they're fighting over a girl, and the boy who doesn't get her wants to leave but he can't or everyone will die, or something like that. Anyway, music. Go home with Bonnie Jean is a hopping happening song that will have you lord of the dancing with the best of them. Or the worst in my case:)


On second thought, those plaid leggings those guys are wearing are pretty horrifying;-)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sew Saturday: October round up

This October has been a fingers flying month to be sure. I had so many things to make, and astonishingly enough, I actually made most of them.

1: purple linen jumper for 3 month old
2: Purple linen bubble skirt for 6 year old
3: Rainbow Wizard Pajamas for 8yr old
4: Rainbow Wizard Pajamas for 4 year old
5: Coverall for 3 mo old
6: Cloud Fairy costume including leotard
7: Lightning prince costume including gold lame pants
8: Blue linen Marleine Deitrich pants for yours truly

And of course I planned on more, but didn't get to more, got to eight. EIGHT! Wow. I didn't count at the time, but that is a heapload of things to put together. I admit, I don't usually start and finish things in the same month, usually things drag on for ages, sometimes a year. Sad, I know, but apparently October is get things done month. Yay! It's partly the sewing ladies fault. They inspire me, start me thinking about all the cute things out there that need to be part of my world. Okay. One picture, because frankly, it's HILARIOUS!!!!!

Voila! Rainbow Wizards!



The stripe was free from an online fabric store, SewZanne's, or something. They sent me the wrong stripe so I emailed them and wanted to send this stuff back, but they didn't want it. Seriously, a strange, weird stripe to be sure, but good fabric, the camouflage was from a wrap skirt I got at Ross ages ago but retired because I'm not really a camouflage person anymore. So sad. Sigh. Moving on. The turquoise at the hems makes the stripes pop. Because we need contrasting crotches popping:-)

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Theatrical Thursday: Arsenic and Old Lace

Halloween spookiness is coming up. I love this movie. I adore this movie. I want this movie to get married and have babies that look just like it. Cary Grant? Frankenstein? The creepy little evil guy? The psychotic old ladies? Seriously, the loveliest scary movie in the world. Just when you think this movie couldn't get any better in comes Teddy Roosevelt. Brilliant!



Pretty much:)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Writerly Wednesday: Satan drives a Chevelle!

Thanks to my brother, the brilliant fellow who thinks about things like what cars my characters drive, I have a winner, a very close match to the crazy car in my head that scared everyone near and far. It's name is Chevelle, with alterations, of course, but here she is!


Can you see it? Hear it rumbling? What did he say; "Saturn's car made a sound like a legion horde of demon horses screaming, hooves pounding on shattering glass as the motor revved." I'm totally putting it into the prequel. This is what it looks like in the novella, "Wilds", which will come out this winter sometime. Hope hope. Anyway, Thanks you genius brother you!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Music Monday: Acts like Summer, Walks like Rain

Hey! This is in my writerly playlist. It reminds me of all those wonderful scenes where they can't quite be together but they're perfect for each other and there's the hope that someday... Which reminds me of Hey Soul Sister which always reminds me of Angie! Hi Angie! So Hey, hey, hey! And if you're going to wear skinny jeans, you may as well go for white! (Possibly the hardest look in this world to pull off)

Friday, October 21, 2011

Fashion Friday: Inspiration outfit

Last time I made my striped skirt. It turned out brilliantly. I have a semi-devious plan to once again set out to conquer some otherwhere cuteness. It involves capes AND polkadots! Sheer genius. I was talking about it with Daisy over a nice cup of herbal tea yesterday. "Daisy," say I. "What could be a way of incorporating the bizarre mint green that seems to have corrupted so many of formerly sensible taupeys in my soon to be divine fall ensemble?" (I try to use big words with Daisy so that she'll be impressed. Just because she doesn't have a head doesn't mean she hasn't a brain.)
Daisy responded with something about small enough amounts so as not to overwhelm the whole, or, she adds, I could use the fandango dots. This confuses me until I remember that Daisy always confuses polka with other dances. "Of Course!" I enthuse. Daisy smiles demurely while I gaze at a never fix-ed mark somewhere between the microwave and the refrigerator. I am still trying to figure out how it will be done, but here is my inspiration.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wild Times: Special Edition

Okay. So, if you ever get suicidal, you might not want to release your menagerie, otherwise the monkeys will get eaten by the tigers, and some tigers will get hit by cars on the freeway. Seriously, CRAZY true story.

http://gma.yahoo.com/last-escaped-animals-being-hunted-down-zanesville-ohio-074109844.html

Writerly Wednesday

Hyperlinks are AWESOME and I am a technological GENIUS!!! It took me two days of staring in rapt perplexity to finally understand the formatting of such things as an ebook with hyperlinks. I know, it doesn't sound very interesting, I think I had an advanced writing class with this assignment that I completely failed because I couldn't wrap my mind around this stuff. But I can now! My brain has flexidified! I am amazing. Now I'm going to bed! I mean bread.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Music Monday and Bring On the Rain

I forgot all about this one. Thanks Melissa! This song was always playing on the radio when I worked at the factory, the one that inspired my first novel, Fairy Factory, not published, still working out serious kinks, but anyway, this song would play often as I drove home exhausted and frustrated, exactly the kind of song you want when exhausted and frustrated. Country can rock! It's all about, yeah, bring it on! I'm tough and can take it. And I'm taking it right to bed with a good book!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Fashion Friday: Cape that!

Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, Red Riding Hood and Vampires! I kind of love all of it. So, what kind of cape would combine all of those in one go? Except red. I look dreadful in red. This is my first polyvore. It's not exactly miraculous but it was so fun! Have you tried polyvore?


Happy Fall, don your capes!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Music Monday and The Cult

This song kind of makes me want to write a costume ball for Dari. She could have a heart painted on her cheek. I don't think it's really appropriate for anyone male who isn't Captian hook. The Cult is a band I don't listen to, nope, not even when I'm writing costume balls. I'm too young. This is my sister's song. She's amazingly cool and elegant and she would look wonderful as a Captain Hook. Or one of those Japanese Dancers. I hope she does not go for the behind the screen thing although I'm sure if she wanted to she could outscreen those screeners nine times out of ten.

The only Eighties thing I really like is, Walk like an Egyptian, and Nights in White Satin, and Belinda Carlisle, and Abba.

So here's the Cult



The blond guitarist kind of looks like Billie Idol. Oh, and Billie Idol! Are there any great Eighties I'm forgetting?

Friday, October 7, 2011

Fashion Friday: Trench and French

All right. So... trench coats. I have one my mother gave me after it languished for years in her closet after it had languished for years in her sister's closet, and where her sister got it, I am not quite certain. It's tan, classic shape, the kind of trench that they're selling at Gap and wherever else. I think it looks fairly decent on me, and it's a bit of a conscience, telling me to stand up straight and forego the yelling at bad drivers. It's incredibly boring though. I feel like I should wear sequined tights or something to give it oomph! Now this is a trenchcoat with its own oomph.


Coat

Coat   (see more polka dot trench coats)


Not particularly trenchy or even waterproof, but soooooo cute! It makes me want to cut out that green stripe weatherproof fabric and paint on some flowers. What do you think? Do you like trench coats?

Monday, October 3, 2011

Music Monday: Raindrop etude and I thought I knew Chopin

So it turns out that there's an entire musical community outside of my head. Pretty weird, eh? I've had about 14 months of formal piano lessons in my life. My mama taught me how to read music pretty young, I can't remember not being able to, and I kind of played what I wanted, when I wanted, and always had a thing for chopin. So, this piece, this raindrop piece, I always thought it was marvelously thundery and stuff, but I had no idea it actually had the nickname raindrops. I always called it an etude. You know, one of his five billion. I appreciate the nickname helps to differentiate and stuff. Anyway.

Thank you Natascia! Without you I would still be playing this in the isolation of my own head. If this kind of thing continues I may have to give Chopin a completely different foreign accent from the one in my head!

Here it is: Raindrop Etude